How To Choose Pallet Feet For Stillages

With a wide selection of pallet feet available, we guide you through how to make the best choice to suit your own stackable stillages and pallets.

Pallet feet are generally used to facilitate easy, safe and secure stacking of steel pallets. However, some pallet feet are more easily stacked than others. And some pallet feet demand a little more floor space than alternative methods of stacking.

CONICAL PALLET FEET

Let me start with conventional pallet feet. These are the most commonly used pallet feet in the UK and are used for most British stillages. Generally conical in their shape, stillages using these are by far the most easily stacked. Fork lift drivers can quickly and efficiently line up stillages. The forklift driver will easily see that two of the pallet feet will be aligned with the pallet below and can be sure that the remaining two pallet feet will drop squarely into place. Care must always be taken to ensure that all stacking points are lined up. However, the pallet will reliably centre itself on each corner post with very little likelihood that it will be stacked incorrectly.

PROS

Low cost

Easily and safely stacked

Available in various sizes and thicknesses

Gives easy fork lift access to all sides of the stillage

CONS

Overlap the pallet adding to pallet footprint

NESTING PLUGS

Used extensively for motor industry pallets, the nesting plug can be used in conjunction with box section posts and fits almost entirely within the confines of the pallet dimensions. It only marginally increases the overall size of the stillage.

Nesting plugs sit on top of or below the corner post. The dimpled nesting plug will insert into the tube of a superimposed load and hold the stacked pallet firmly and securely in place.

Forklift drivers need to be highly accurate in their placement of stillages with little margin for error.

In designing stillages using nesting plugs, it is generally necessary to add skids, (or runners), between the corner posts in order to spread the load over a larger surface area. Nesting plugs on their own would create a significant point load and would be likely to damage floors.

PROS

Pallet footprint in minimised

When used with skids, warehouse and vehicle floors are best protected.

CONS

Maximum driver accuracy required

The addition of skids adds to pallet costs

Skids may create a barrier preventing hand pallet truck operation

Not available in many sizes

EUROPEAN PALLET FEET

Generally not available in the UK, this pallet foot is used extensively in Europe for Euro style cage pallets and box pallets.
Like the conical pallet foot, it is easily stacked. The Euro style cage pallet uses a top frame for stacking purposes. The feet will simply be placed within the upturned stacking frame of the stillage below, which in turn holds the superimposed stillage in place.

This foot adds nothing to the overall size of the stillage, However the required stacking top frame does add slightly to the pallet dimensions.

PROS

Pallet footprint is kept small

Gives easy fork lift access to all sides of the stillages.

CONS

Generally only available in one size

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

When stacking stillages, it is imperative that fork lift drivers take care to ensure that all feet line up.

It is essential that the feet can be seen to have properly dropped over the corner posts of the stillage they are stacked upon.

Stillages and steel pallets must be stacked only on solid and level surfaces.

Care should be taken to ensure that space is allocated between stacks of stillages. It is imperative that adjoining stacks of pallets cannot be disturbed unintentionally.

We manufacture stillages using all of these stacking methods. We design post pallets and mesh and sheet steel sided stillages to suit each customers individual needs. If you have any requirements for stillages and wish us to assist please call today or complete an online enquiry form.